Agency - My Sister's Circle, Inc.

My Sister's Circle (MSC) is a comprehensive relationship-based program designed to mentor girls from disadvantaged Baltimore neighborhoods during their challenging transition to middle school, throughout high school, and into college.

Description:
• Develop mentoring relationships between girls residing in Baltimore's inner city and hand picked highly qualified volunteer mentors,
• Provide resources and tools, such as tutoring, which can lead to a measurable increase in academic performance,
• Enhance participant's academic curriculum by regular exposure to, and participation in, Baltimore's cultural, educational, recreational and community offerings,
• Solicit and obtain scholarships for day and overnight summer camps and programs,
• Act as a vehicle of change by developing partnerships to create a measurable increase in the number of economically disadvantaged, minority girls who are accepted into public school honor programs, as well as charter, magnet, citywide schools, and independent middle and high schools, and
• Create a support system that advocates for and helps girls in this demographic to achieve high school graduation, college attendance, and eventually productive citizenship that allow them to live up to their potential.

History:
My Sister's Circle was developed as a direct response to a request from Ms. Irma Johnson, principal of Dallas Nicholas Elementary School, a Title I school in East Baltimore. In the fall of 2000, Ms. Johnson met with MSC founder Heather Harvison and expressed concern that some of her most promising fifth grade girls were getting "lost" as they made the transition to middle school. Over the years, Johnson observed that when these girls left the support of the elementary school environment, they faced the threats of the middle school years: pressure to devalue academic achievement; pressure to conform to the demands to become sexually active; pressure to abuse substances; a lack of belief and confidence in their abilities; and a lack of a vision of a professional, independent future. Lacking guidance, these girls were prey to traditional urban risk factors including teen pregnancy, dropping out of school, drug use, incarceration and violence. This initial conversation was the genesis of My Sister's Circle. Harvison was inspired to action, and utilizing nationally recognized best practices for youth mentoring, her own background as an educator, and local support and technical assistance from The Maryland Mentoring Partnership, she developed a unique and comprehensive model to address the needs of such girls from three Baltimore city feeder schools, Dallas Nicholas, Abbottston and previously Barclay. Today, My Sister's Circle serves over eighty-five girls that attended one of these Title I elementary schools and are presently enrolled in over 40 various public and private middle and high schools throughout the state.

Contact person: Lela Knight, Program Director, (phone), (email)

Address:

P.O. Box 84 Timonium, MD 21094